Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Against The World
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
The life of Christ, which the community of Christ leads, the mentality of Christ alive in the Church, will bear witness against the world insofar as it is still unredeemed and full of evil. The world accuses Christ of being a sinner, finds him guilty in its trial as an unjust man and condemns him. But who is the sinner? Who is found guilty? Who is condemned? Not Christ but the world. Who will prove this? The Spirit of Christ is alive in the Church. If the Church lives the life of the just Christ, the works of the world will stand out as unjust, and the life of Christ led by Christians will be a condemnation of the world and its powers of evil.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
You demand much of us, your Church,
by calling us to be witnesses
of your Son and of his message,
although we are men and women
who share in the sin of the world.
Send us your Holy Spirit
to open us all the time
to renewal and conversion,
that your Church may show to the world
The true face of Jesus Christ
Your Son and our Lord forever.
First Reading
So they turned the crowd against them; and the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be flogged.
After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, instructing the jailer to guard them securely.
Upon receiving these instructions, he threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
Suddenly, a severe earthquake shook the place, causing the prison to rock to its foundations. Immediately, all the doors swung open, and the chains of all the prisoners fell off.
The jailer woke up to see the prison gates wide open. Thinking that the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself,
but Paul shouted to him:
“Don’t hurt yourself! We’re still here.”
The jailer asked for a light, then rushed in and fell at the feet of Paul and Silas.
After he had freed the other prisoners, he led them out and asked:
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They answered:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you, and your household, will be saved.”
Then they shared the word of God with him and his entire household.
Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds; he and his whole household were baptized immediately.
He took them to his house, prepared a meal for them, and joyfully celebrated his newfound faith in God with his whole household.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (7c) Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Because of your kindness and your truth,
you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;
he will guide you to all truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
but now I am going to the one who sent me, and none of you asks me, Where are you going?
The Work of the Spirit
Instead, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.
Believe me, it is better for you that I go away because as long as I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes, he will vindicate the truth before a sinful world; and he will vindicate the paths of righteousness and judgment:
about sin, because they do not believe in me;
about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will no longer see me;
about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That the people of God may keep thanking God that he has given us the grace to believe in him and in Jesus Christ and his gospel, we pray:
– That the Holy Spirit may help us discern how much untruth and injustice there is still in our world and give us the boldness to testify in favour of the truth and the goodness of the gospel, we pray:
– That we may believe that the Holy Spirit will guide our lives on the ways of Christ and his gospel, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God,
Here are bread and wine,
Your gifts to us and our offerings to you
to be transformed into Christ.
Send us the Spirit of your Son,
that people who sit at this table
may also become living signs
of Christ’s presence among us
by our sharing with one another
and giving to the world the bread of justice.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have entrusted to us, your people,
the task of continuing the mission of your Son
of redeeming the world.
Send us the Holy Spirit of your Son
to make us credible witnesses:
men and women who live first
what we want others to accept and live,
men and women to whom
your Son is a real person and a way of life.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Christ gives the Holy Spirit to guide the whole Church and us in the ways of the gospel. He will help us bring the gospel to the world by making us understand the message of Christ and giving us the discernment and strength to communicate it to the world today. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
John 16:5-11
The Kingdom is worth all the struggles
Today’s Gospel passage begins the third section of Jesus’ farewell discourse. Many scholars believe that the rest of the chapter reiterates most of the points raised in Chapter 14. Although John presents Jesus’ farewell discourse as a single sermon at the Last Supper, it is possible that Jesus delivered these teachings to his disciples after his resurrection.
Jesus is about to leave the scene, and the disciples’ hearts are filled with sadness. In him, they found new hope and believed they would be in important positions in Jesus’ new kingdom. He also showed them mercy and understanding despite their weaknesses. With Jesus, they experienced the greatness of the heart - the love of God who loves us beyond all limits, beyond miseries. They had felt strong and capable of transforming the world with Jesus.
But now he is leaving. They will be left alone. Discouragement spreads among them. What will they do? The leader disappears, and it seems that nothing makes sense anymore. It appears that the path they started with Jesus now leads nowhere and that it is better to go back home. A sense of failure overwhelms them.
But Jesus promises to send them his Spirit. The Spirit will give them strength and help them find their way. It would be childish to think the Holy Spirit would appear in an apparition and constantly tell them what to do.
God wants us to be mature, free, and responsible for our own choices. We are capable of taking risks, making mistakes, and starting over. God does not want us to remain eternal children who always rely on someone else for guidance. The Spirit is not there to dictate our every move but to help us grow and make our own decisions. The Spirit reveals the brotherhood and sisterhood of God’s children, where no one is excluded.
The Holy Spirit urges us to forge our own path and make decisions that will transform this world into the home of all God’s sons and daughters. The Spirit is not a mere whisper but a blazing flame that ignites our hearts. It encourages us to grow and live freely in service of the Kingdom. We will face challenges, but do not be discouraged because the Kingdom is worth all the struggles.